Cultivator



arch 16 1926.

R FFITH CULTIVATQR Filed O t 27 3 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 f x? KKT J- h O O O TM/M5751 Patented Mar. 16, 1926 1,576,650 PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD H. GRIFFITH, or BELLEVUE, OHIO, Assreiroaro THE omo CUL'lIVATOR COMPANY, or BELLEV'UE, orIIo, A CORPORATION or omo.

oULrIvA-r'oR.

Application filed October 27, 1923; Serial No. 671,265.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatrI, RICHARD H. GRIFFITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bellevue, in the county of Huron and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cultivators, of which the following is a specification, refers ence being bad therein'to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvementsin cultivators for the cultivation of fields hav-- ing therein crops of growing corn.

The first and foremost object of my invention is carried out by the combination of mechanism comprising on the one part a draft frame, a wheeled axle, and shovel beams coupled to the draft frame and adapted for vertical adjustment, so that the shovels may be let down to the ground or be lifted upward out of cultivating position, and, on the other part, a fore and aft slidable or adjustable sea-t frame, and beamoperating levers connected through suitable devices with the beams and with said seat frame, so that when the beams are raised and cast additional weight on the machine back of the axle, the seat frame will advance forwardly to correspondingly reduce the weight rearward of the axle, whereby the machine is duly balanced on the axle, as well when the beams are up as when they are down with the shovels in the soil.

A subsidiary feature involved in so carryin out the first object is composed of the draft frame fixed with relation to the axle, and of the seat frame mounted to travel back and forth on the main frame through a sliding connection, including rollers which travel with the seat frame and ride against the main frame, as on a track; whereby friction due to adjusting the seat frame forward and backward is reduced, and the adjust ment made easy and smooth, notwithstanding that at such times the seat frame is carrying the driver or operator, whose weight is added to the inertia of the seat frame.

Another object of my invention has reference to slidably mounting a transverse shaft on which the couplings of the shovel beams are mounted and to which shaft also are connected the steering arms which control the angling or deflecting of the wheel spindles and ground wheels for directing the course of the cultivator, such slidable moan;-

ing of such shaft being effected by means of rollers mounted 011 the main frame and supporting and carrying a transverse bar connected to such shaft, so that when the shaftis adjusted laterally to position the cultivator beam-s more or less to one side of the machine or the other, this transverse bar will travel on these rollers andm-ake easy and free such lateral adjustment of the beams and angling or deflecting of the wheels; the beams shifting to the-left when the wheels are deflected inthatdirection, and sl'iifting to the right when the wheels are deflected in that direction.

Another object of my invention'is that of combining with the shovel beams, the fore and aft adjustable seat frame, and their connections, certain lifting springs which, when the beams are down in working position are put under beams are to be lifted and the seat frame to be advanced forwardly, the retractile force of these springs will aid the operatorin the act of lifting the beams and-advancingthe seat frame. 1

Other objects relating to structural and detail features willappear from the specification.

In theaecompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved cultivator with one wheel removed to facilitate the illustration, showing my cultvator in the normal position, or with the cultivator beams and shovels position. Figure 2 is a like View showing the position'of the parts when the beams have been lifted and the seat frame rolled or adjusted to forward position, to balance the machine in respect to the distribution of its weight forward and rearward of the axle.

in cultivating Figure 3 is a perspective view of my cultivator, looking downward upon the machine, with the parts in the position shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail View, on a larger scale, showing the bracket and other devices involved in adjusting the beams laterally.

Figure 5 is a .detail perspective view showing more clearly the relation of the stationary draft frame and adjustable seat frame with the rollers carried by the latter tension, so that when the Y and traveling on the former as also some of the adjacentparts and the forward devices for the attachment of the cultivator beams.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view showing the same parts at another angle or view point to effect a fuller illustration.

1 indicates the usual draft pole with its single trees 2 and draft devices including draft rods 3 and links 4; connected. with the shovel beams, so as to apply the dra strains produced by the team directly to the shovel beams. This pole is secured to the draft frame comprised of diverging bars 5 and parallel bars 6, the rear ends of which are connected as by a bracket 7 to the axle 8, which is composed of two sections each bent to form a horizontal and a vertical part to constitute an arch. On the vertical portions of the arch are mounted sleeves 9, which carry the pintles 10 for the ground wheels 11 and the steering arms 12, both of which extend forward and upward where they connect with a suitable coupling 13, which fits on the transverse shaft 14. Each coupling has an upper extension 15 which receives and is secured to the transverse bar 16, so that such shaft and such bar are connected together, and when adjusted move in unison. The bar 16 is slidable on the side members 6, within brackets 17, secured to the side members 6 of the main frame.

Thus this shaft and bar constitute a laterally adjustable member by which the wheels are angled or deflected for steering the machine in either direction laterally, while the shovel beams are likewise adjusted both at a time in either direction through their connection with this transverse shaft 1%. The connection of the shovel beams, designated 19, with this shaft, is effected through the couplings 20. These couplings are rotatably mounted on the shaft 14; so that they will slightly oscillate when the shovel beams are raised and lowered in the manner presently to appear. These couplings are also slidably mounted on such shaft so that the distance between them may be varied when it is desired to adjust the beams closer together or further apart to adapt them to the row of corn to be cultivated.

Two separate instrumentalities are used for adjusting the transverse shaft 14 laterally, and for adjusting the beams to and from each other without adjusting the shaft 14. The former of these instrumentalities comprises two bellcrank levers 21, mounted on pivot bolts 21, carried by brackets 22 secured to the main draft frame 56, and links 23 attached at one end to the outer members of the bellcrank levers, and at the other end to projections 24 secured in any convenient manner to the shaft 14. The inner ends of the bellcrank levers are connected to other links 25 which, through chains 26, are attached to upper ends of foot levers 2", pivoted at 28 to any suitable connection with the main frame or arch.

l i hen the operator places his foot upon either of the foot levers 27 and pushes it forward, he will there ore, through the connections described, shift the transverse shaft hiand its connected cross bar 1:; laterally in either direction, according to which foot ever he manipulates. This causes the bar to slide on the frame and the shaft to carry the cultivator beams laterally through their connection with this Jar by means of the bracket 20. At the same time, the wheels are angled or deflected by the movement thus given to the steering arms 12. Thus the beams with their shovels are adjusted laterally, while the wheels are correspond ingly angled or deflected, which results in a quick direction of the shovels and of the whole machine as well to one side or the other to meet the sinuosities of the rows of growing plants, as well as to dodge such haphazard obstructions as stones, roots, or small stumps, where such conditions obtain, as they do in some fields.

To adjust the beams with their shovels closer together or further apart, the other set of instrumcntalities is used, comprising a bracket 29 secured to the transverse shaft 14-, and bar 16, a hand 3O voted to said bracket and having a link o1 at one side of its center, which connects with one of the brackets 20, and a link 2-12 at the other side of its center, which connects with the other bracket 20, so that by manipulating this lever the two shovel beams are adjusted closer together or fur ther apart. By snapping, say, the inner end of the link 31 into any one of the holes shown in the bracket 29, the parts locker in any given position. l 25 is ii rou cured to the rear cross bar of the drain frame and to the bracket 29, to act as a brace.

I will now refer to the seat frame, and h manner of inountng it on the machine. 1 .s frame con'ipriscs side memliicrs a transverse brace 3% between them, converging bars 85 and seat supports 36, on which is placed a seat 37. The bars 33 lie adjacent to the side bars (3 of the fixed draft frame, and the rollers 88, journale'l to the side bars 33, travel upon the bars 6, while other rollers 3S, journaled in the lower ends of the bars 83, travel on the under edge of the draft frame, all as clearly shown in Figure 1. A guide strap 4h), mounted on the journals of the rollers, overlaps one s de of the draft frame, while the downwardly curved port-ion -11 of the seat. member overlaps the other side of the same member. In this way, the seat fran'i is mounted to reciprocate on the draft frame, and prevent it from being dislocated.

Certain instrumentalities are used to adjust the seat frame forwardly when the shovel beams are raised and to adjust it rearwardly when these beams are lowered to place the shovels in the ground. Inthe latter position, much of the weight of the beams and their shovels is sustained by the ground, and is not sustained at all by the machine frame at points back of the arched axle. .lin that condition, the seat frame oc cupies its rearward position, so that its weight and that of the driver will substantially balance all that part of the weight of the machine which is forward of the axle.

But when the shovel beams are raised, and

much of their weight and of the shovels is then supported by a connection at the rear of the axle, the seat frame moves forward so as to reduce the leverage of the weight of the frame and the driver, to compensate for the weight added by the. elevation of the beams.

lnstrumentalities other than those now to be described may be employed for so adjusting the seat frame and the shovel beams but those illustrated, and now set forth,are pre ferred. These instrumentalities comprise links 42 connected one at either side to the seat frame through the bolts 38 on which the rollers 38 are mounted, and to segments 43, mounted each on a. rock shaft 44, having bearings in the brackets 45 carried by the axle.

These segments 43 are thrown forward to advance the seat frame, and thrown rearward to return the seat frame. The segments are so moved by means of a lever 46, pivoted at 48 on a bolt carried by the ad j acent member of the seat frame. This lever extends below its pivot to the point 49,

r where, through a link 50, it connects with an arm 51 secured to the rock shaft 44. Thus the segments 43 are oscillated back and forth, and through the links 42 the seat frame is adjusted. At the same timeuthe.

shovel beams are raised or lowered, as the case may be, through lever-s52, pivoted at 53, to the segments 43, with which they may be locked by the detent 54, shown more clearly in Figure 3, so that when the segments 43 are manipulated by the lever 46 as described, the levers 52 areswung to cause their rear ends 55 to lift or lower the shovel beams through the rods 56. Collars 57 on these rods serve to permit the adjustment of the tension of the pressure springs 58, so as to hold down yieldingly upon the shovels when they are working in the ground. 7

The lever 46 through its detent 46 may be locked to the segment 46 to hold the seat frame forward or backward, and the levers 52 and rods 56 in either position, so as to control the position of the shovel beams. And the levers 52 may be engaged or disengaged through their detents 54 with the seg without adjusting the other, or indeed. both at the same time, should that be desired,

without operating the lever 46.

lVhile this it not a feature of my invention, I call attention to the fact that the lever 59 is used to vary the inclination of the pole l with respect to the draftframe, so that the pole may be inclined upwardly or downwardly, or presented in alignment with such frame as may be'desired in raising or lowering the forward ends of the shovel beams so as to affect the inclination of the shovels to the soil. This lever 59 has a detent 60 by which it may be locked to a segment 61 mounted on the pole, while a link 62 connects the lever with the forward. part of the draft frame.

It will now be understood that besides the detail features of arrangement and construction, my invention comprises the two generalfeatures of the seat frame adjustable forwardly and rearwardly in connection with means for lifting and lowering the shovel beams in substantial unison with these'movemen-ts, respectively, of the seat frame, and that in respect to these features there are the additional ones of detail and arrange ment above described, which enter into these adjustments and mountings of the seat frame and beams.

Further it will be noted that my invention comprises also the transversely adjustable shaft and bar mounted on rollers and con nected up with the wheel spindles by steering arms, with devices to so adjust the shaft and bar, and thereby the shovel beams connected with the bar, that when the beams are shifted laterally the wheels are correspondingly deflected. v

In order to lessen the labor or effort of the driver in, lifting the shovel beams and advancing the seat forward, I have combined with the beams a-ndthe arch or other fixed place on the machine, a 'retractile or lifting spring 62, one for each beam. These springs are preferably of the coiled form. and are fastenedat their lower ends to the beams as seen at 63, and at their upper ends to a fixed point on the frame, say to the arch itself, as indicated at 64, which is best shown in Figure 5.

It will be seen that when the shovel beams are in working position as illustrated in Figure 1, these lifting springs are distended or under tension. When the lever 46 is thrown forward to lift the beams and advance the seat forwardly, these springs join in the operation, and by their retractile force pull or lift on the beams, and so exert a force which is applied also to the seat frame through the several connections. In this way these lifting springs co-act with the beams, the seat frame, and the operating parts.

I may add that I prefer to provide a link 24;, secured to the draft frame 5, and adapt ed at its other end to engage the forward part of the bracket 29, to lock the shaft 14 and bar 16 against lateral movement, so as to hold the wheels and spindles in a fixed position to make a rigid-axle cultivator of the machine when desired.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a cultivator, the combination with a general frame including a draft frame having a fixed relation to the axle, of a seat frame whose forward portion is slidably mounted on the draft frame, and rollers interposed between the two frames to facilitate adjustment to the traveling of the seat frame backward and forward.

2. In a cultivator, the combination with a draft frame, of a seat frame adapted to be adjusted forwardly and rcarwardly, rollers mounted on the seat frame and arranged to travel on the other frame, and lever devices by which to adjust the seat frame.

3. In a cultivator, the combination of a draft frame, a seat frame whose rear end carries a seat and whose forward portion is mounted to travel back and forth on the draft frame, the forward end extending below such frame and carrying rollers which travel on the under side of the draft frame, and other rollers mounted on the seat frame and traveling on the upper surface of the draft frame.

4. In a cultivator, the combination with a draft frame, of shovel beams connected thereto at their forward ends, lifting devices connected to their rear portions, a seat frame slidably mounted on the draft frame, an actuating lever for the shovel beams and seat frame, and devices connecting such lever with the seat frame and the lifting devices.

In a cultivator,-the combination with an axle and a draft frame fixed with relation thereto of a seat frame slidably mountedon the draft frame, a lever connected with the seat frame to adjust it forwardly and r-earwardly, shovel beams with their forward ends connected to the draft frame, lifting devices connected to their rear portions, and with said lever, whereby when the shovel beams are raised the scat frame is advanced foiwvardly to compensate for the increased downward pull on the main frame due to the sus nsion of said beams.

(3. in a cultivator, the combination with an axle and a draft frame fixed with relation thereto, of a seat frame having rollers connected with its forward portion and adapted to travel on the draft frame, shovel beams connected to the draft frame at their forward end, lifting devices connected to their rear portions, and a lever connected with said devices and with the seat frame, and adapted to move the scat frame forward when the beams are lifted and rearward when the bea s are lowered.

7. In a cul ator, the combination with an axe and a f line connected thereto, of aseat frame adjustably mounted for fore and aft movement with respect to said other frame, shovel beams havin their forward ends connected with the latter frame, lifting devices attached to their rear portions, a lever connected with such devices and with the seat .ine, lifting; springs connected with the and with a fixed part of the machine, adapted to co-act with said lever in ting the beams and advancing the seat frame forwardly.

8. In a cultivator, the combination with an axle and a frame connected thereto, of a seat frame having its forward end mounted on said other frame and adapted to travel fore and aft, with respect to said other frame, a lever connected with the seat frame to so adjust it, shovel beams connected to the machine frame at their forward end, lifting devices attachcd at their rear portions and connected with said lever, and retractilc springs attached to the beams and to a fixed point on the machine, and adapted, when the shovels are in the ground, to give the beams a sort of floating action, and, when the beams are lifted, to co-acii in raising them and advancing the seat forward.

In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature.

RICHARD H. GRIFFITH. 

